Rag-disintegrating machine



Dec. 24, 1929. E; c. BROOKS RAG DISINTEGRATING momma Filed Nov. 22, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 24, 1929. E. c. BROOKS RAG DISINTEGRATINC- MACHINE Filed Nov. 22. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a %w a a. W w

Patented Dec. 24, 1929 IEUGENEC. BROOKS, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT RAG-DISINTEGRATING MACHINE Application fi1ed November 22, 1926. Serial No. 149,909.

This invention relates to machines for tearing rag-stock or textile fabrics into its component threads for the purpose of recovering the yarn for use in re-worked fabrics or for any purpose where it is desired to disintegrate fabric into its component threads.

According to previous practice in this art, the means for delivering the rag-stock to the toothed picker drum exercised no very definite control over the delivery of the rag-stock to the teeth of the picker drum so that the rags were torn into small pieces or bits rather than unraveled or disintegrated into their component threads. The more completely the thread or yarn, comprising the fabric, can berecovered as separated threads of substantial length, the more satisfactory will be the material for re-working purposes, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a construction and arrangement for a rag-picking or fabric-disintegrating machine that shall efliciently accomplish this purpose.

Inits general features the invention embraces, in combination with a revolving toothed' picker drum, co-acting nipper elements embracing a longitudinally corrugated roller'and an overhead concaved presser element co-actingto deliver rag-stock tothe teeth of the revolving dru1n,'while nipping it to prevent delivery or'presentation of more than the quantity of rag-stock that shouldbe presented to permit the removal of one thread at a time. This and other features of the invention will be particularlydescribed in the-following specificationand will be defined in the'claims hereto annexed;

In the accompanying dra'wingsI have. illustrated a simple and convenient form em-' bodying' the principles of this invention, in

which Figure '1 isa side elevation of'the'assenn bled machine-.-

Figure 2 is'a detail front elevation of'the Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the transmission connection for driving the feeding-in and the delivery elements.

One difiiculty with previous rag picking machines that has caused much trouble is due to the tendency of the rags to roll up into a bunch and plug the machine, so that the operator was obliged to stop and pull out these plugs by hand and pull them apart. lVith the present construction this trouble is remedied, owing to the arrangement of feeding-in rolls which will deliver to the delivery roll and its co-acting nippers only a limited supply of rag stock which, however, is positively fed into the nip of the delivering roll and is prevented from escaping around the heel of the nipper plungers, which thus act as a stripper for this feeding-in roll.

In the practice of this invention, according to the form illustrated, the operating mechanism is mounted in a suitable frame-work A, carrying a transverse drive-shaft 1, to which is secured a cone-pulley 2 and a transmissionpulley 3, transmitting motion through the belt 3 to the pulley 4 on the end of the pickerdrum shaft 5. The picker-drum 6 comprises acylindrical drum'having peripheral spikes or teeth 6, inclined forwardly in the direction of the drum rotation.

In proximity to the upwardly revolving side of the picker-drumG is mounted an adjustable head or frame 10, in which are mounted the feeding andthe nipping and delivery elements.

In order'to position thedelivery elements properly with relationto the'travel of the revolving teeth of the picker-drum, this head is adjustablyfastened"to a'horizontal flange A of the frame by means of a screw'and slot connection, as shown atll. The adjustable head or'fr'ame' comprises vertical side mem bers or stiles 10*, whose supper ends are connected by a transverse truss orbridgelO, which forms a bearing, support for the overhead presser'element. The lower-front'portion of the head 10 is provided with vertical slots 10 and 10 for adjustably mounting the boxes for the upper feed-roller 13,- and the lower feed-roller 14:, respectively. The box of the upper feed roller has an upwardly extending stem 15 to support a weight 13 adjustably secured to the stem by a screw to permit interchange of weights. Each box for the lower feed-roller is mounted in a slot 10, and the desired tension of the spring is secured by adjusting the thrust-screw cap 1 1*.

In front of the pair of feed-rollers l3 and 14: is placed the rear roller 12 of a traveling feed-belt or apron 12, whose forward end is carried by a roller on a suitable standard which need not be shown as such feed-aprons are old in the art.

Adjacent to the traveling teeth or spikes 6 is mounted, in the head 10, a nippingdelivery roller 20, which is longitudinally corrugated to co-act with the picker teeth. According to the showing in Figure 3, this roll revolves in a clockwise direction to carry the rag-stock, fed to it by the feed-rolls 10 and 10 and deliver it to the upwardly revolving teeth.

(do-acting with said delivery-roll 20 is a yielding presser element, which is preferably made in narrow sections 15. The bottom of the presser element is concaved so as to assist the delivery-roller 20 to deliver the rags to the upwardly revolving spikes while, at the same time, exerting a nipping pressure to press the rags against the underneath delivery-roll.

The overhead yielding presser is provided with upward extensions or stems 15*, having vertical bearing engagement in vertical bearing openings in the transverse bridge portion 10 of the supporting head, the upper reduced ends 15 of said stems being surrounded by a helical spring 16, thrusting against an adjustable thrust-cap 16*, having threaded connection with the upper extension sleeve 10 of the bridge. When the presser, as in the form shown, is made in sections it is preferred to spline these stems 15 against rotation. while allowing them to move vertically by any suitable spline arrangement, such as a spline-screw 17 extending into a spline-way or groove in the stem 15 At the front of the machine is provided a transverse counter-shaft 8, on which is mounted a comb-drum or pulley 8 and which carries a transmission pulley 8* from which, by means of a belt 8", rotation is imparted to a counter-shaft 9, connected up with the feeding rollers, above described, by suitable gearing or sprockets not necessary herein to show,

It will be seen that the feed-apron 12 delivers the rag-stock in proper quantities to the feeding-in rollers 13 and 14, which can be given any desired feeding tension and which can be adjusted, by varying their tension to different levels in relation to the level of the apron 12.

Both of these feeding-in rollers are preferably corrugated with light corrugations to properly grip and feed in the rag-stock. The revolving ribs of the delivery-roller 20, take the stock from the feed-in rollers and carry it around against the concaved lower end of the pressing and nipping element, and between these two delivery elements the ragstock is drawn in and presented at a proper rate of speed, controlled by the comb-belt adjustment, to deliver the edge portion of the rag to the upwardly revolving teeth of the picker drum. It will be seen, therefore, that the rag-stock is carried in over the top of the delivery-roll, against which it is pressed, and nipped by the presser element so that the fabric is positively and accurately presented to the action of the picker-drum, while the stock is held against being pulled from the delivery elements faster than is requisite for the proper delivery.

The feed-in rollers and the nipping de livery roll are driven by any suitable transmission trains. I have shown diagrammatically in Fig. 4 a transmission successfully used in practice.

The counter-shaft 9 is directly connected with delivery roll 20 by belt or sprocket and from the roll 20 an idler pulley or gear 21 is similarly driven. This idler 21, by suitable connecting pinions, drives upper feed roller 13, while, by means of an intermediate idler 22, the lower roller 14 is driven in the opposite direction to roller 13. The apron roller 12 may be connected by belt directly with shaft 9. Of course different transmission connections will lie in offset planes to avoid mutual interference. Further illustration of the gearing connections are deemed unnecessary since these form no part of the invention claimed herein and may be varied at will. 7

In order however to impart flexibility to the speed ratios between the feeding and delivery rolls on the one hand and the revolving picker drum on the other, I provide a variable speed-driving connection, in this case using a cone pulley 2 on shaft 1, having driving connection with companion conepulley 8 on shaft 8.

The drum runs at materially higher speed than the delivery roll, but the variable speed connection permits a substantial variation in that speed ratio.

I The usual casing A covers the upper portion of the picker drum and a receiving or doffing shelf 25 is mounted thereon, to carry away the unraveled yarn.

By making the head which carries the feeding and delivery elements readily adjustable the machine may be used for either woven rag stock or knit rag stock, the latter requiring more clearance between the delivery elements and the picker teeth because of its greater elasticity.

' What I claim is:'

' 1. In a fabric disintegrating machine, the combination with a toothed picker drum, coacting nipper elements embracing a corrugated nipper roll and overhead non-rotatthe first-named feed roller with its periphery ng concave presser feet arranged to yieldspaced from said delivery roller substantialingly press the entire interposed rag stock 1y as described.

against the corrugated roll and in conjunc- In witness whereof, I have subscribed the tion with said roll present said rag stock to above specification.

the upwardly revolving teeth of the picker drum, and co-acting feeding rolls arranged in close proximity to said nipper elements to force a limited supply of rag stock into the nip of said nippers.

2. In a fabric disintegrating machine the combination of a revolving toothed picker drum, coacting nipping and delivering elements arranged to present the rag stock to the upwardly moving teeth of the drum, said nipping elements comprising a rotary corrugated roll and a non-rotating concave presser element, and a supporting head for said elements adjustable toward and away from the picker drum to vary the clearance of the nipping delivery elements in relation to the picker teeth.

3. In a fabric disintegrating machine, the combination with a revolving toothed picker drum, of coacting rag-delivering and nipping means comprising a rotary corrugated roll and a series of side by side overhead springpressed presser feet having concave bottom ends extending partly around the corrugated roll, means for varying the pressure exerted by said presser upon the interposed rag stock, and co-acting corrugated feed rolls, one of which is yieldingly mounted, arranged to force a limited supply of rag stock into engagement with said corrugated nipping roll.

4. In a fabric disintegrating machine the combination with a revolving picker drum having peripheral projecting teeth, a pair of fabric delivering members comprising a longitudinally corrugated delivery roll and a series of side by side concave spring pressed presser feet arranged to guide and nip the interposed rag stock against the corrugated roll in close proximity to the passing picker teeth, a pair of co-acting feed rolls arranged to press a limited supply of rag stock against the delivery roll on the intake side of said roll, one of said feed rolls revolving in the same direction as the delivery roll and being positioned close to the intake corners of the pressers to prevent the escape of rag stock away from the delivery roll.

5. In a fabric disintegrating machine, the combination with a revolving picker drum, fabric pinching and delivering means embracing a longitudinally corrugated roller whose upper side revolves toward the picker drum, overhead presser feet whose lower ends are concaved to partly follow the contour of said roller while forming a throat for receiving the advancing rag-stock, a downwardly pressed feed roller normally pressing the ragstock against said delivery roller, and a supplemental feed roller mounted beneath EUGENE C. BROOKS. 

